Fiskars is known for making great scissors, shears, prunes, gardening tools…you name it. Therefore, it only makes sense that eventually they would unveil a new push reel mower for 2010. This mower is the Fiskars Momentum Reel Mower.
Not only does fiskars know a thing or two about cutting, but they’ve got this mower packed with some great features. Check it out:
InertiaDrive Mower Technology:
A large diameter cutting reel and heavy blades store energy like a flywheel, so the Momentum push reel mower provides twice the amount of power to cut through tough stuff like small twigs, weeds or dense grass that can sometimes clog other reel mowers. The Fiskars Momentum reel mower also requires 30 percent less pushing force than standard reel mowers when cutting long grass.
Fiskars Reel Mower Ergonomics:
The Momentum reel mower has several features that make this mower easier and more enjoyable to use. One of these features is an ergonomic height adjustable handle with padded grip (this makes it easy on the hands while pushing the mower). To change the cutting height of the mower, the Momentum showcases a quick and easy one-touch cut height adjustment system. As far as grass after its been cut, a grass discharge chute directs grass clippings forward, away from the user’s feet.
Fiskars VersaCut Reel Mower Design:
Currently, the Momentum has the greatest cutting height range of any reel mower with the settings starting at a minimum of 1 inch ranging up to 4 inches cutting height. This particular push reel mower also edges three times closer than other reel mower models and does not leave uncut grass strips under the wheels.
StaySharp Blades and Cutting System:
Precision engineering by Fiskars allows grass to be cut without the blades touching the cutter bar, which significantly reduces friction and wear on the blade – a feature that Brill has had for several years, by the way. By eliminating the steel-on-steel contact that dulls some brands of standard push reel lawnmowers, the blades can be maintained by sharpening them every few years instead of every year.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
The Fiskars mower works OK as long as your grass isn’t over 2-3″ high. If the grass is taller than that, the front axle pushes the grass down and it doesn’t spring back up in time to be caught by the blades. When the seed heads are up I have had to weed whack the *entire* lawn.
hey chuck, my fiskares worked fine right out of the box. tall seed heads, no problem, guess that what “But lite is for”. I love this mower and hope to keep it for another 20 yrs..
This mower works better than fine. If your grass is 3″ high you will need to do the multiple pass technique. But everyone knows that. What I like is the forward throw. it keeps cutting the clippings to almost nothing. One thing I would like to see is the grass catcher they say is coming out and if a solid roller on the front instead of the two wheels for even areas and it also makes striping possible in the grass
Honestly, Chuck doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Or he hasn’t figured out how to set the height adjustment yet. With a mower that can be adjusted as high as 4″ cut height, what he’s saying makes no sense at all. In fact I can’t imagine that what he is saying is even possible if you tried to set the thing to cut at 1″!
I have used this mower in grass as much as 10″ long, and I did not have the experience he apparently did. I just adjusted the cut height to 4″ and walked through it, turned around and came through it from the other direction, then set the cut height to 2″ and repeated another couple passes, and it was done.
On most lawns, using a 2 inch cut height is perfect, and this will easily handle grass up to 5″ tall without a problem. I have my lawn mowed down to 1″ now, and I wish it would grow faster so I could mow it more frequently. This thing is fun. The best cut height to start with is about 1″ shorter than what your grass is currently grown to. Then just shave off another inch every day until you get it where you want it.
By the way, I have four kinds of grass in my yard: Bahia, Bermuda, Zoisya and St. Augustine. It handles them all with equal ease. It’s all about that proper cut height. You will know very quickly when you’re trying to mow too low, because it very suddenly becomes a challenge to cut.
Clippings are handled beautifully, and there’s no need to rake if you use the mower properly. As I said before, just mow off an inch per day until you have it where you want it, so the clippings won’t bog it down. Then mow at that height once or twice a week and you’re all set.
One thing that really surprises me is that once you have found the right cut height, you really only need one pass. I’m used to people telling me about making two or more passes with other reel mowers, so I was expecting the same with this one. Nope, set it properly and one pass is all you need.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with this mower. It ignores 99% of the sticks I run it over, 75% of the pine cones, and 100% of the acorns too. (Again, proper height adjustment.) Even for yards of an acre or more, it’s a great choice. I cut my grandfather’s acre of St. Augustine today and it was really easy, and surprisingly fast at just over an hour. This mower is hands down best-in-class, just as they claim. Beats the Scott’s mowers all to … well, you know.
Sorry, Chuck, but I think you need someone else to mow your grass if you can’t figure out the height adjustment knob.
Thanks for the reviews. While Shannon provided some good information, I wish she wouldn’t denigrate someone else’s experience and blatantly insult the man. Maybe his lawn is extremely think of a different type from which Shannon is not familiar.
Where can I find a local dealer near summerfield, fl. 34491
@gene herman, We are not familiar with a dealer in your area, however there are a few online dealers who can ship the mower direct to you.
Here is a link to one: http://www.cleanairgardening.com/fiskars-momentum-reel-mower.html
Shannon,
An acre in an hour????
Wm
Chuck knows what he is talking about. Let’s not be so quick to criticize, shall we, boys? It all depends on the type of grass. Some grass is easy to cut, other grass is more heavy duty, so to speak. I think chuck points out a fundamental problem of this type mower (push reel mower) and that is that it don’t work too well on high grass. In other words, mow more often. What’s the big deal? I like mowing the lawn with my push mower. I like using my grass catcher attachment that I made myself, as fiskars and most other reel mowers do not seem to think people are intelligent enouth to know what to do with grass clippings besides dump them in the garbage can. Grass clippings are perfect for making layered mulch type compost. Check out “lasagna gardening” or “layered mulch.” Every once in a while I take off the grass catcher and let the lawn fertilize itself with the clipping mulch–high in nitrogen.
I bought this mower 1 year ago for our new house. We built, so its bermuda yard, but still has weeds. Chuck is more right than Shannon, who sounds like he/she works for Fiskars. Overall this was the best reel mower I could find. And it does cut good. However, it does not cut sticks, twigs, and any loose mulch will bring you to a jarring halt. If you wait too long to cut, expect to make at least two passes. Also, if your yard does have weeds, like crabgrass that gets very tall quickly, the mower does exactly as Chuck describes on any setting, it just won’t cut it. If your grass is thick, don’t expect to continue to run over the cuttings either, they eventually pile up. It really needs a bagger.
Like I said before, I really like the mower. I cut very short, and you can only get that with a reel, and this is the best reel mower I could find. You just need to know what you are getting into. Our lot is 1/3 acre, and our house has a fairly large footprint. Its not 100% flat, but it isn’t the side of a hill either, and it takes me a 1-2 hours to mow depending one how hard I’m willing to walk. It also takes a brisk walk to cut smooth, at least as low as I mow. I hope that as my lawn matures, it will get easier. At this point, mowing day is my cardio workout and then some.
Does anyone have experience with the Fiskars on a bentgrass green–the home we’re buying has a large golf green in the back yard–I’m assuming a reel mower is needed here??
@harry, A standard reel mower will not cut low enough for a putting green, its take a special costly reel mower. http://www.cleanairgardening.com/greensmower.html
I have used my new Fiskars once and loved the ease of adjustment and did not find it particularly heavy. It may not be the right mower for my “lawn”, though. We just bought a 3 acre property – an acre or so is mowable grass – and are still learning about caring for it. I think I tried to do the first mow too early – still too wet. That, plus the tough awn grasses were too much for it. So we hired a few kids to do the initial mowing with their dad’s gas mower and I look forward to giving it another try. The foxtail grasses are my nemesis – I’m anxious to cut, pull and bag up as much as I can – it’s not a grass that should be left to reseed. I could really use a bagger (and some sheep).
We have a tall fescue lawn with lots of crabgrass and this mower would leave all the thicker / taller crabgrass stalks no matter how many passes we made. We really wanted to go green (and get some good old quiet peaceful exercise) and got the mower thinking we’d just mow often like we’re supposed to, but with the crabgrass we ended up weedwacking all over the yard after we mowed every time — it was just completely impractical. Consider what your lawn is like when purchasing to decide if this one will work.
I don’t usually take the time to write feedback on stuff, so the following itself is a testament to how much I like this product… Also, I am not an environmental nut, but, I am trying to change little things here and there, so that my grandchildren’s children have something left.
My trusty John Deere push mower that had served me well for the past 8-10 years bit the dust. After trig to fix it for a couple hours, hurting my hand, and annoying all my neighbors with the words I was yelling at it, I resigned myself to buying a new mower.
A few weeks ago, I watched an episode of “Shark Tank” and there was a gentleman on there who presented the “Eco-Mower”, or some other man powered mower to the Sharks. He was excoriated, offered no money (which I posit he didn’t need anyway-he was likely on the show for exposure), which I am sure the producers made for “good TV”, but even though he left the show seemingly rejected and dejected, his presentation stuck in the back of my mind, and I visited his website a while back to see what he had to offer. On his site, I discovered the Fiskars mower, read all about it, watched all the You tube videos, and then filed the info in the back of my mind.
So…fast forward a few weeks. My trusty JD gas mower dies. What to do? At this point, a question is raised: What is best for the environment, fix my old mower (reuse), or buy a man powered mower? I come to the conclusion that fixing my old mower really is the better course of action, environment wise, as I already have it, the cost to the earth to manufacture and transport the thing has already been paid long ago, so it makes more sense to not add another piece of machinery to our ever growing pile of machinery cast offs, that sit in a landfill somewhere.
So, I go about attempting to fix my JD. After messing with it for a couple hours, hurting my hand, swearing loudly, and generally get irritated while trig to fix it, I discover the engine has seized.
Well, that makes my decision easier now, doesn’t it?
So…now to buy a Fiskars. But, therein lies another choice. Do I buy locally, as the carbon emissions from the semis brining the product to Lowe’s have already been absorbed into our atmosphere? or, do I buy from the “Shark Tank” guy and support his business, and cause another truck, and another round of carbon emissions to be spewed into our atmosphere? I would have loved to support the “Shark Tank” guys business, but “buying local” won out. Sorry, “Shark Tank” guy, but take solace in the fact that you got one more carbon spewing mower off the “streets”.
So, I will donate the old JD to charity, where, hopefully, a handy person in need of a mower will buy this and get another 8-10 years out of it, before it inevitably ends up in a landfill somewhere.
OK, get this far?
I just bought this mower and have used it once, so take these comment with that in mind.
Good:
Good build quality
Easy to push
Cuts grass (even tall) easily
Cut grass blade is beautifully trimmed, with no jagged edges
Cut lawn looks beautiful–eve better than a gas mower
Good design ethos
Easily adjustable height
Handle easily removes for storage or transport
Quiet (fantastic!)
No gas
No oil
Exercise
Cool looking
Makes me feel good; as if I am doing a tiny part to save the earth
Neighbors look at you funny when you use it–love it!
Bad:
Does not cut weeds, dandelions, or other assorted noxious plants that poke up above the grass carpet
Not great in tight spaces
Must clean lawn, a small stick will jam this mower up, and cause an abrupt stop to you and the mower (ouch)
Throws grass in front, so one has to sweep the sidewalk (or just leave the clippings there to irritate the neighbors–maybe this is a positive!)
The front wheels will get lodged in small holes and stop you dead–so be aware of small holes
Does not cut well on uneven surfaces
I had to go over each swath of cut twice–this might be a first time use thing though, as my lawn was pretty long
Well, that’s it. If you got through the above, bravo to you for reading this far.
Short version–go buy one!
well I just ordered a new Fiskers reel mower and grass catcher today after one month of all the pros. however the person that mowed one acre in a hour must have a horse pulling it or drinking something. I sold my 42″ walk-behind mower to buy the fiskers and never mowed an acre in one hour. and acre is about 210′ on each side, about 42,000 sq. ft. she must have been trotting and here in Florida you don’t move that fast. can’t wait for my Fiskers to be delivered on Tue.